How Did I Become an F1 Driver?
Chapter 35 - 29: Safety Gear

Chapter 35: Chapter 29: Safety Gear

To be honest, Qin Miao was eager to try racing at Shanghai as soon as he found out he could rent an F4 there.

After all, no racing enthusiast could resist the allure of Formula racing.

However, Qin Miao’s excitement when he first came into contact with real racing didn’t mean his wife Qimeng was equally blinded.

As Qin Miao was about to rent an F4, Qimeng stopped him.

"It’s your first time dealing with this, and no matter how well you do on the simulator, it can’t compare to real racing. So, I think you should start with a GT3 first. Let them take you around the track for a few laps and get a feel for it before you dive in."

As they say, listen to advice for a full belly, and this was coming from his girlfriend. Qin Miao thought over it and realized she had a good point.

The G-force isn’t something you can truly understand just by watching videos, playing on a simulator, or sitting in a G-force chair.

You need to get into a racing car and experience it yourself to truly grasp this sport.

After Qin Miao nodded in agreement, they turned and went to a somewhat professional-looking racing team’s pit garage.

After some discussion, Qin Miao paid 24,000 yuan, but he didn’t immediately sit in the GT3 racing seat.

The team took the money and issued a receipt, but they only led Qin Miao to their pit garage’s lounge.

After inquiries and explanations, Qin Miao realized that reality isn’t like games—where you start your GT3 car and hit the throttle.

In reality, not only do you need to warm up the car, but you also need to heat the tires.

Even though GT3 tires are semi-slick, they’re a type of racing slick.

Add in refueling, pre-race equipment checks, and a host of other tasks, and an hour goes by just like that.

But during that hour, Qin Miao still needed to make some preparations.

Even though he’s just a passenger, as long as he’s in the race car, there’s danger.

At speeds of over 200 km/h, having an accident on the track isn’t something to joke about.

So before Qin Miao got in as a passenger, he needed at least equipment that would keep him safe in case of an accident.

Close to the pit garage was a shopping area selling all sorts of racing-related items.

There were racing suits, helmets, gloves, and even GT3 racing car models.

In short, whatever racing equipment you might need, you could buy it here.

Qin Miao originally planned to casually get a set of equipment—helmet, racing suit, gloves—just to have a set.

To him, the equipment only needed to be functional; how it looked didn’t matter.

But Qimeng, who was picking clothes and equipment with Qin Miao, didn’t think so.

Qin Miao has a good base; though his skin isn’t fair due to frequent cycling and outdoor sports during school, it’s smooth with hardly any blemishes.

With a little grooming, Qin Miao could look quite handsome, but he’s never cared about his appearance.

He only cut his hair when it bothered him, and he always got a buzz cut.

Back in school, Qimeng asked why he liked buzz cuts, and he said: "With a buzz cut, I don’t need another haircut for three months."

Is that even a human’s answer?

Now with this opportunity, Qimeng felt it was necessary to manage Qin Miao’s appearance properly.

After all, once Qin Miao’s looks improve, she gets to enjoy it too, right?

However, after looking at the gear in the store, Qimeng gave up, because the clothes sold were just ordinary racing suits, and their sizes were fixed. Buy too small and they won’t fit, and larger ones on slender Qin Miao look loose and careless.

Qimeng settled on a set that was barely passable: a white and blue racing suit, pure black Alpinestars anti-slip gloves, and a helmet matching the suit’s colors. Qin Miao looked quite stylish in this set.

But this set cost 3,000 yuan.

Of course, this money came from Qin Miao’s Racing Fund. Since Qimeng was still a student, she couldn’t afford this gear.

However, after wearing the helmet and racing suit for a while, Qin Miao started sweating, even though there was air conditioning in the shop.

After removing the helmet, Qimeng laughed as she slicked back his slightly damp hair and thought he looked really clean.

Before, Qin Miao’s looks were at most a passing score of 60, but with the racing suit and his hair done, exposing a neat forehead, his appearance took a leap.

Now, if she had to rate him, Qimeng thought Qin Miao’s looks could be worth 75 points.

Qin Miao had never cared much about his appearance, prioritizing convenience, and having a girlfriend only made him less concerned.

Thus, he was unfazed by his improved looks, letting Qimeng do whatever she wanted, with two words: don’t care.

After paying, they returned to the lounge.

But watching Qimeng occasionally look up from her phone and smile at him like someone lovestruck, Qin Miao suddenly felt there were benefits to looking better.

Feeling a bit bored, he was curious seeing Qimeng play on her phone, so he asked.

"What are you up to?"

Qimeng looked up, "Recording favors."

Qin Miao was puzzled, "Huh?"

Qimeng handed her phone to Qin Miao, showing a note with a name recorded.

[Zhou Jianjun: Phone: 138...

Gave Qin Miao a racing opportunity]

[Address: Tianxin District, Changsha City, Hunan Province...]

It also noted:

[Important Gift]

Qin Miao was utterly confused.

"What is this?"

Qimeng smiled and explained, "I’m recording those who helped us, so during holidays, we can send greetings and gifts."

"Others may have helped us out of goodwill or ease, but as the ones helped, we mustn’t forget their kindness."

Qin Miao was still baffled, "Shouldn’t we just remember, and help them in return if they need help? Why send gifts?"

Qimeng wasn’t angry nor did she explain further, just said, "Oh, don’t worry. Just focus on your racing; I’ll handle these things."